Text 304, 97 rader
Skriven 2006-04-03 12:30:54 av Ardith Hinton (1:153/716.0)
    Kommentar till text 295 av George Pope (155.survivor)
Ärende: Resources
=================
Hi, George!  Recently you wrote in a message to Ardith Hinton:

AH>  As usual, we fall between the cracks.

GP>  She's 19 now, right?


          Close enough for jazz....  ;-)



GP>  -- I get more exposure than I need living in a seniors'
GP>  building (rent subsidies for disabled work that way!)


          Aye, there's the rub!  Is this building intended for seniors... or is
it intended for adults with physical disabilities, the majority of whom are (as
it happens) older than you are?  Whether because of fuzzy thinking or political
expediency or clever marketing or some combination of same a lot of things seem
to be labeled in a lot of people's minds as Especially Designed for Seniors.  I
find it frustrating when Nora needs these things, just as you probably do.  And
I get it from the other direction when people think Nora should be doing xxx or
yyy because that's what the "in" crowd is doing nowadays.  They believe we need
to be told what's "in" where we already know it wouldn't work for us... (sigh).



GP>  You know about the Jericho Disabled Sailing Club?


          Yes, thankyou.  We found out about a number of sports activities from
Bonnie Friesen (Vancouver Parks Board).  Getting Nora into a sailboat is not an
experience I'd care to repeat!  The club has a "spider web" lift for folks with
no control of their legs, but she dislikes these things intensely & wants to do
as much as possible for herself.  One of the reasons we all found kayaking more
practical is that a person can get into the seat from behind while the craft is
on terra firma, and the opening is big enough to accommodate both legs....  :-)



GP>  which is one of Mayor Sullivan's projects --


          I gather he's done a lot for folks with disabilities... to the extent
that Vancouver is considered one of the best cities in the world for wheelchair
accessibility.  On a more personal note, when Nora realized British Airways had
mislaid his power chair she sent him an e-mail in sympathy (with some help from
Dallas).  This is the same kid who's too shy to write to people she knows.  And
he answered it despite having received over one thousand similar messages.  :-)



GP>  I think you were describing Nora as not being necessarily
GP>  very physically challenged any more?


          Well... it's all relative, isn't it??  When Nora first had her stroke
she was totally paralyzed on the left side.  Now she can walk a short distance,
climb a few steps on occasion, and hold something like a pepperoni stick in her
left hand.  But all of these tasks require careful preparation and/or help from
another person.  So we're certainly not out of the woods yet....  :-)



GP>  I'm sure there are transitional-type activities, too.


          That's one of the things we particularly like about kayaking... there
are adults of various ages, some disabled & some not.  Nora needs a lot of help
getting in & out of a kayak.  But with the right equipment, she can control the
speed & the direction of travel as well with one arm as I can with two....  :-)



GP>  (I personally plan to try the sailing before skiing!)


          As did we.  Be aware, though, that without a lift you may have to get
in (more or less) crabwise & place one leg either side of the mast.  Dallas has
checked out the URL's you included here, BTW... thanks.   :-)



GP>  Does she remember the BBS geek who showed up at Burnaby
GP>  hospital to say hi one day way back when?


          I think so.  Those days are a bit of a blur in Nora's mind now... but
your visit meant a lot to all of us, and she's taking your advice about working
hard at her therapy very seriously.  Somewhere I still have a copy of the ASCII
art which you sent her, and which I stuck on the wall opposite her bed....  :-)




--- timEd/386 1.10.y2k+
 * Origin: Wits' End, Vancouver CANADA (1:153/716)